Hello lovelies,
many people only know polenta as a side dish, at our house it is often the main course. This miso polenta is my favorite proof: the polenta is cooked until really soft and creamy, and at the end I stir in miso paste and a knob of butter. That gives a salty, rounded savoriness that otherwise only a good Parmesan manages. On top goes a generous portion of green vegetables from the pan.
If you prefer your polenta from the oven, you should try my baked polenta parmigiana with eggplant. The creamy version here, on the other hand, is ready in half an hour, which makes it perfect for a weeknight.
Miso, the seasoning from Japan
Miso is a fermented paste made from soybeans, often together with rice or barley. Light miso tastes mild and slightly sweet, dark miso much stronger. I always stir the paste smooth with a little hot water first so no lumps form, and add it only at the very end.
By the way, I use miso for far more than polenta. In my vegan umami ramen with miso it gives the broth a real depth of flavor.
For the vegetables I stick to green ones: asparagus, broccoli, peas and spring onions. They go into the pan one after the other so each keeps its bite, and a squeeze of lemon juice keeps it all fresh.
If you cannot get asparagus right now, use green beans or snow peas. All that matters is that the vegetables stay crisp and make a nice contrast to the soft polenta.
I also love green asparagus with Asian seasoning in my soba noodles with green asparagus and sesame. I would love to hear how the miso polenta turned out for you.
